Enhancing Children's Cognitive Function and Achievement Through Carotenoid Consumption

Purpose

The aim of this study is to test the casual relationship between carotenoid supplementation, cognitive function, and achievement over a school-year. The central hypothesis is that, relative to the waitlist placebo group, children receiving the carotenoid supplement will exhibit greater gains in cognitive function and achievement.

Conditions

  • Cognitive Change
  • Achievement
  • Macular Pigmentation

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 8 Years and 10 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Child assent and parent/guardian consent - 8-10 years of age - No lutein supplementation within 6-months prior to enrollment (exception of multivitamins containing less than 1 mg lutein/day) - Absence of learning disability (parent-reported) - Tanner scale score ≤ 2 - 20/20 or corrected vision

Exclusion Criteria

  • Non-assent of child or non-consent of guardian - Above/below 8-10 years of age - Lutein supplementation within 6-months prior to enrollment (including multivitamins containing more than 1 mg lutein/day) - Identified learning disability (parent-reported) - Tanner scale score > 2 - Not 20/20 or uncorrected vision

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Active Supplement 		The active supplementation group participants will be asked to consume a daily carotenoid supplement for 9 months.
  • Dietary Supplement: Active supplement
    Carotenoid supplement comprised of 10mg lutein and 2mg zeaxanthin.
Placebo Comparator
Placebo Control 		The placebo control group participants will be asked to consume a placebo supplement for 9 months.
  • Dietary Supplement: Placebo control
    Placebo control supplement

Recruiting Locations

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois 61801
Contact:
Naiman Khan, PhD
217-300-2197
nakhan2@illinois.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Study Contact

Naiman Khan, PhD
217-300-2197
nakhan2@illinois.edu

Detailed Description

This clinical trial will be a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial to examine the effects of carotenoid supplementation on cognitive control, hippocampal-dependent relational memory, and academic achievement among pre-adolescents over one school year (i.e. 9-months).